'Atomic Bomb' a jolting tribute to William Onyeabor

David Byrne performs during 'Atomic Bomb! The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Who is William Onyeabor? That’s the question posed on the cover of a remarkable retrospective of the elusive Nigerian’s work, reissued last fall to widespread acclaim by David Byrne’s Luaka Bop imprint. The short answer, however – and the reason the album is titled that way – is that no one really knows.

Not that he’s in hiding: The 6-foot-5 68-year-old remains high chief of his Igbo village in Enugu, the capital of what was briefly Biafra in the late ’60s. But after his 1985 collection Anything You Sow, the last in a trailblazing run of synth-driven excursions begun in the late ’70s amid civil war and famine, Onyeabor turned his back on the infectious, commentary-charged grooves he had made up to that point, became a born-again Christian and has never discussed his past in any way that could confirm or deny the mythology surrounding his artistry.

He’s believed to have studied cinematography in Moscow (which maybe resulted in released films at home) and at some point may have earned a law degree. But it’s at least known that he built his own record-pressing plant, from which he issued a series of forward-leaning works that fused electronic textures and drum-machine blips to the highlife feel of Fela Kuti, Nigeria’s godfather of Afrobeat. Yet, as producers of his first official compilation point out, “The few bits of conflicting information we have gleaned from others has brought us to the realization that all the information that is out there, and there isn’t a lot, is suspect.”

What endures, more intriguingly than his enigmatic tale, is his music – as funky and epic and outspoken as Fela’s, fueled by the same sort of slippery guitar riffs and rhythmic complexity that would redefine Talking Heads circa 1980, but lacquered in a synthetic sheen as advanced as Giorgio Moroder’s disco tracks from that era.

It’s ingenious, still-relevant stuff. Given the dreamy qualities and body-moving capability of such singular creations, Onyeabor could stun as a resurrected unknown were he to play Coachella. What has resulted in his absence, however, is the next best thing: a team of admirers, led by Ahmed Gallab’s worldly group Sinkane, who fleetingly re-enlivened this material with a short slate of appearances this past week titled “Atomic Bomb,” concluding with a terrific performance for a perpetually-in-motion crowd Thursday night at the Greek Theatre.

Byrne was on hand, of course, dapper in a black suit and orange cowboy hat, a nod to Onyeabor’s fashion sense. But though his name provided the most marquee value to a lineup that also included Beastie Boys affiliate Money Mark, Hot Chip sprite Alexis Taylor, Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke and tenor sax great Joshua Redman, the maverick chiefly responsible for introducing a multitude of exotic talents to Western ears nonetheless downplayed his role here. While Gallab ably led the ensemble – grounded by bassist Ish Montgomery and bolstered by a beat squad involving, among others, LCD Soundsystem’s Pat Mahoney and talking-drum master Kofo the Wonderman – Byrne surfaced a half-hour into the roughly two-hour set and stayed to the side.

Occasionally he added distinctive vocal harmonies, syncopated fretwork and, most spirit-pumping of all, his uniquely quirky manner. And he took the lead on the sassy charm of “Fantastic Man” in a winning call-and-response involving another Nigerian act, the Lijadu Sisters, reunited after more than three decades.

They were a treat for the eyes, clad in shimmering dresses – first in Lakers colors, later in an array of reds and whites – and the pair’s playful approach, especially on their own songs, made even the most cautionary warnings adorable. If only they had been mixed properly: While the fullness of Okereke’s voice and the sweet nasality of Taylor’s tone came through loud and clear, the Lijadus often couldn’t be heard clearly. (They also weren’t entirely on key for the choruses of the song “Atomic Bomb,” thus sapping some of its gauzy joy.)

That distraction, along with the omission of the trenchant piece “Why Go to War,” were the only nits worth picking during an otherwise marvelous evening, a supergroup performance worthy of that superlative. Highlights were plentiful, but two moments stand out most: “Heaven and Hell,” with Byrne adding a sublime high cry over Okereke’s heartier wail, and Redman capping it with a wicked solo that veered only slightly into screech; and the closing 15-minute jam “When the Going Is Smooth & Good,” which kept arching higher and higher and higher – literally so in the case of the show’s MVP, Money Mark, who climbed atop gear to hoist his keyboard in the air.

“Dance your troubles away,” Gallab declared at the outset, amid the warm-up groove “Body and Soul.” That, it seems, is all the song’s author might have desired. Who is William Onyeabor? Thursday’s memorable and undoubtedly rare experience may have hit on the only truth that can be trusted about the man: The answer is in the music.

David Byrne performs during 'Atomic Bomb! The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Ahmed Gallab, leader of Sinkane, performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
David Byrne performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Jonny Lam, left, and David Byrne perform during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Kele Okereke and the Lijadu Sisters perform during 'Atomic Bomb! The Music of William Onyeabo at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Ahmed Gallab, leader of Sinkane, performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Ahmed Gallab gets a fan to sing along during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Money Mark performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Jonny Lam was among the large ensemble Thursday at the Greek Theatre. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip and the Lijadu Sisters perform during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
David Byrne performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
The Lijadu Sisters perform during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Elijah Wood warms up the crowd at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Elijah Wood takes a photo of the crowd at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Fans dance during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
David Byrne, Sinkane, Alexis Taylor and more perform during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Kele Okereke and David Byrne perform during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Kele Okereke of Bloc Party performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
David Byrne (right) performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Elijah Wood warms up the crowd at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
David Byrne performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
David Byrne performs during ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
The players of ‘Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor' take a bow at the Greek Theatre Thursday. KELLY A. SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

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